Cringles the Pony is Counting on You to Save Her Life

Cringles the Pony is Counting on You to Save Her Life
Originally uploaded by rikkis_refuge.

She's a 10-year-old blind pony, 13 hands high, solid black and loves kids. Her beloved owners are planning on murdering her soon. They have four kids, of the human variety, one who was a special needs child. I got this pony as therapy for the child. She is blind and very gentle and would be ideal for such a situation. The four kids in the family used to love her and brush her and play with her all the time. The three-year-old would walk underneath her belly. But as time wore on the pony became “boring”, and nobody wanted to play with her anymore. For the last couple of years she has lived just locked up in the barn with very little contact. She's restless and frustrated, and is behaving a bit agitated right now.

But if we can get her out of this environment I am sure she will make a loving pet for the rest of her life, which could be a very long time. Is there anyone out there who can adopt this precious girl?

There are two possibilities for her at Rikki's also, but I need your help. The 12 acres of Bovine Boulevard has lush pastures, but is also shared by Jasper and Jezebel a feisty, and sometimes naughty, donkey and mule. Being blind, any transition is going to be difficult, and I worry that this duo may torment her.

Jasper and Jezebel pretty much destroyed Horsey Haven. They ate the siding off the little barn. No, it was not funny. First they chewed through a couple of windows to stick their heads out. Then they simply kicked and ate away the rest of the siding. They also have done a great deal of damage to the fencing. So before Cringle could live here, we'd need help rebuilding their little barn and redoing the fencing.

The other possibility would be Ramsey Residence. Usually the only folks staying in here are Joseph Conrad, the sheep with degenerative arthritis in his knee, and a friend or two. The fencing should be good enough for her here, but the shelter would be an adequate. The sheep houses would require Cringle to duck to get in, and that's not good because she's blind. So before she could live in this area we would need to build a little barn.

She will also need some medical work before coming to Rikki's. It must be done beforehand, because we do not have adequate facilities to isolate a pony, just in case there was something contagious.

If you can adopt Cringle please contact Beth at the Orange County Animal Shelter 540-672-1124 or if you can make it possible for her to live at Rikki's please contact us 540-854-0870 or mail@RikkisRefuge.org.

We have to do something pretty quickly, the owners are willing to relinquish the pony Providing it happens before their scheduled date to murder her. Just think of how many fewer children there would be in the world if murder was an option for your obnoxious two-year-old or the 16-year-old who just wrecked your car. It never ceases to stun me, that murder, is a viable, legal and easily available option to “get rid of” a beloved pet.

Rikki's Refuge No Kill Animal Sanctuary, www.RikkisRefuge.org - 540-854-0870 or mail@RikkisRefuge.org